h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, my weight loss program is going well so far, but my nutrition advisor suggested I download an app called My Fitness Pal as a means of recording all the food I eat. It automatically calculates all the nutritional elements such as carbs, sugar etc.

I did snigger at the DNA echo of "You Plastic Pal who's fun to be with!"

It also records what exercise you take, and nets this off your daily calorie intake. I was a bit dubious when it told me my daily allowance was only 1200 calories (to lose a pound a week? Really???) but I did get to utter the immortal line "My fitness pal wont let me have sex!" this morning, as that isn't on its list of recognised exercises. Pah!

Also shocking is that 1 glass of fruit juice exceeds the daily sugar quota.

I'm not a nutrition expert, and I'm not a fitness expert but 1,200 calories a day sounds more like a crash diet to me than something that you can lose 1lb a week with.

Good luck with the weightloss though, something I'm finding increasingly harder as I get older.

I am absolute carp with health numbers ... calories, cholesterol, blood pressure ... but even to me, 1,200 seems sparse for an active adult. And yeah Bea, I know you to be pretty active. (not referring to nekkid dances, etc )

Still, good luck with your plastic pal who doesn't recognize obvious 3-letter-words as real heart and health enhancers

As I said, it does allow you to add exercise even walking the dog, and it will up the calorie allowance accordingly. i think my nutritionist was trying to shock me about the amount of sugar and carbs in my handbag standby of a mini box of raisins...

The problem with adding sex is that there are so many variables as far as balancing the calories goes. It's not three-boxes-of-mini-raisins sex every time. Sometimes it's four, sometimes it's not worth opening the first box.

I've been counting calories for over a year now, albeit with a different app. I've also seen a sports nutritionist and personal trainer and overall I've got rid of over 45lbs.

I agree with other posters that 1200 cals is BS! All you need to cut your calories down to is about 70% of your daily recommended allowance. However, I would also recommend weighing all your food to make sure your calorie count is accurate. It is ridiculously easy to delude yourself about your portion size without it.

To begin with, my app suggested 1350 calories but on gym days when I entered the workouts into the daily calculation, usually having burnt about 350-400 calories, I was down to starvation levels and needed to eat more. However, having got used to the smaller portions, I found it really hard to eat that much almost last thing at night and the 'easiest' way was to have a pudding, which is obviously completely counterproductive.

So, now I'm on about 1700 cals a day, with no additional puddings required and it's working much better for me.

Other things I'd suggest would be: have breakfast, skip carbs (veg is fine) for one meal, don't ever feel hungry on a continuing basis and have a 'free' meal once a week. A meal though- not a day of it or a weekend of it!

Yes, I hadn't been calorie counting before now, just halving the carbs, which seemed to be working OK, especially combined with more weights-type exercise. And I'm not planning to follow the suggestion of 1200 cals, its just that's what the app counter reckoned I needed to lose 12 lbs over 12 weeks, which surprised me (and obviously you lot.

I know Ismarah, it takes a while to get used to what 100g of stuff looks like - and yes it's usually much less than you think!

Anyhoo, am off to Wagamama's new Belfast eaterie tonight - any recommendations?

Don't know the place, so fat and rich and delicious, and then take Max for areally brisk walk as long as he is good for.

Then blame Dai for the aches and hurts. It MUST be his fault somehow.

Oooh, where to start!

For a dieter, the tofu or chicken itame, followed by the frozen yoghurt trio!
Spicy- chilli squid! Gooey decadence- chicken or veg katsu curry.

Love love love Wagamama!


12lbs in 12 weeks is a little rapid also- doubling the time would be easier. Keep the calorie count higher and don't eat extra if you count your exercise too- just keep it even. And don't weigh yourself too often- it gives you the impression nothing is happening..

The detested pictures or measurements help too, to see the changes and to keep at it. Plus if you start to do more exercise and put on 4lbs of muscle while getting rid of 4lbs of flab, if you just used the scales they'd tell you you'd made no progress, although you clearly had.

Tracking things works wonders!

Chili-squid? Dang, she'll invite me back to sample that too!

I particularly like the noodle soup with salmon, although I can't remember the Japanese name for it. And drink lots of green tea, as it is free and has no calories, although it is hallucinogenic in large quantities.

I've decided to ignore the concept of "dieting", and just eat healthier food in general - cut down on cheese and make sure I get at least 6 fruit and veg a day, and the rest should just fall in place around that.

I figure that all the running around at work (including one day per week working in the gardens) and horse riding twice a week is a good start where exercise is concerned - but I wish I had a dog so I'd have a reason to take advantage of all the lovely walks around here.

Though if I do join both re-enactment groups I may also find myself rowing and fighting more often.

If it weren't for the distance Mal, I'd find a good and happy dog for you to walk, ... If I could borrow a little horse time. Oh do I miss that ...

Unfortunately, I'm riding on borrowed time - er, borrowed horses - myself.

I know a dog you can borrow any time, loves walks, never gets tired....

Mal is much younger and probably much more energetic than I, so I assume you are offering Max to her ... This town ain't big enough for such a lad (and an old guy like me dragging along behind)

Some of the times when I've watched the calories most carefully, even down to weighing food out etc, I've not lost an ounce, and sometimes even gained.... The expression of shock on my face yesterday, on weighing myself after my Three week Christmas food and alcohol fest, to find I'd gained..... zero pounds must have been quite a sight I find down to about 1100 carlories a day, as long as I'm getting plenty of bulky veg matterial in that allowance and I don't useually* feel too overly hungry... managed to lose weight so far just changing small aspects of how/what I eat and hope to continue that this year, so it can end up being easier than you think
And sex must* be good as an exercise.... its the only exercise I've done since I was about 16 or `17 and gave up actual* sports/exercise stuff

Yes I'm enjoying being creative at coming up with alternatives; if a glass of grapefruit juice is too high in sugars, I'll happily replace that with a glass of tomato or vegetable juice. I love a boiled egg with soldiers at the weekend - this morning I replaced the soldiers with asparagus spears, which really doesn't feel like any hardship!

Just weighed myself today, after I showered, and having only arrived home (and hence last weighed myself) Friday.... and I've lost 2 LB Despite having quite a substantial Indian takeaway Friday night, and asides that having been living off of bread butter and cheese and club biscuits

mmmm asparagus - I've some arriving with my grocerys tommorrow morning though I've not entirely decided what I'll do with it yet Either just with pepper and alongside tunasteaks/new potatos, or make some kind of asparagus and mushroom shortcrust pastys/pies/rolls mmm... maybe chicken asparagus and mushroom Though it'll be beef stew tommorrow night probably whilst we're still in teh winter cooking frame of mind

Must get some.... err... exercise in soon

2legs you're a bad boy - and you know it!

I weighed myself this morning and it would appear that I now only have 8 lbs to lose in 12 weeks. But I'm not sure I believe the scales, especially after last nights fab Wagamama (chili squid plus the prawn/ coconut milk soup thing) which was followed by a mini pub crawl in Belfast...

Is a pound a week really too ambitious?